Step-by-Step Tips for a Newbie Gardener Starting Out
The rooftop garden in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, of Sarah Judd Welch, Co-founder & CEO of Sharehold
This is the second part in a two part piece from Sarah Judd Welch, avid gardener, and founder of innovation agency Sharehold. Read about Sarah and three life and business lessons she’s learned from gardening, here.
Below find step-by-step tips for how to prepare, set up and tend a home garden.
Setting up your gardening space.
Figure out how much space you have to dedicate to your garden. It’s very tempting to cram all of the plants in there. At most, you can squeeze in a bit more than the recommended spacing on the back of each seed packet suggests. Your garden will be healthier with fewer plants.
It’s ideal to plant directly in the ground. If you’re in a large city like me, you may want to test your soil to make sure it’s safe. Otherwise, you’ll need a container. Containers should be as deep as possible, at least 2 feet. Container bags are also good, lower cost options.
Choosing what to grow.
Pick plants based on the conditions of your garden. Look up your favorite vegetables and find how much sun they require. If your garden gets that much sun, great!
I like to grow my plants from seeds, I find that most satisfying.
Buying seedlings is also a great option, especially if you’re getting started in May or June. The farmers market is generally the best place to buy plants. I do not recommend buying plants from big-box hardware stores.
As long as it aligns with space and sun that you have, grow what makes you happy!
Make sure you grow things that you actually want to eat. For example, I realized that while I could grow lettuces, I just didn’t like eating them. I prefer growing my own tomatoes and cucumbers and buying lettuces at the supermarket.
Essential materials.
Lots of dirt and compost.
Sun.
Space.
There’s nothing else that’s required besides a lot of patience!
I also really like this spray for bugs and mold and this spray to keep away squirrels.
Taking care of the garden.
Gardening is one of those things that you have to keep showing up for. It takes regular maintenance and care. I like to spend a good 10-15 minutes each morning taking care of my plants, weeding, picking suckers, etc. I don’t have a water connection on my back deck, so I haul water from my kitchen every other day. I like to water at night to prevent scorching the leaves.
Additional gardening wisdom.
If it fails, start over. A starling ate my entire garden last weekend! I was so upset, but that’s nature for you. You can’t get discouraged.
Seeds are magic. You put them in dirt and a plant that bears fruit comes out of it. Even if you mess it up, it almost always finds a way to grow. How cool is that?
Growing your own vegetables shortens the supply chain which is good for the environment, and I guarantee you that whatever you grow will taste better than what is in the supermarket!